Football apparel has become a booming side business for many of the most popular football kits teams. Fans are always anxious to buy something that shows their support of their favorite team, and a replica jersey or a t-shirt can be exactly the right thing to wear when you watch a match. Now that the FIFA World Cup is fast approaching, fans are more anxious than ever to get their hands on the latest designs that the international teams will be wearing this summer.
What’s the Buzz?
The internet has been home to wild rumors and leaks regarding this summer’s new football apparel. Fans want to be the first to know what the new kits will look like, and there are several who aren’t above snapping blurry photos if they should have the privilege of an early peek at one of the designs. Team owners would prefer to heighten the suspense and let the fans wait until the official design release, but the fans are generally not that patient. As soon as there is a hint of a new design element, the word spreads through the football community like wildfire.
The Many Design Possibilities
Of course, fans need to have something to do now that the qualifying is over and the tournament hasn’t quite begun. Football apparel is a unique sporting element, as the teams choose remarkably different looks for their home and away games. It is possible for a single team to wear three completely different uniforms in the same season. Usually the home uniform is the most traditional, with the alternate and away uniforms pushing the design envelope a little more drastically. Whether a fan is conservative or daring, there should be a team shirt that fits their style every season.
Modern Updates
Modern football apparel advertises more than just your favorite team. Today’s jerseys are covered with product logos that advertise the companies that sponsor the team. Football tends to treat the logos with a little more finesse than, say, a stock car racer, but sometimes the logo is the most prominent feature of the shirt. Creative clubs will find ways to incorporate their sponsor’s logo into the overall shirt design so that it doesn’t detract from the sport. It can be disheartening to root for a team of walking shoe company billboards. Teams are working to find a way to earn the sponsorship revenue and still sell plenty of replica shirts to fans who like the team better than the sponsor.
Getting Ready for FIFA 2010
Winter and spring of this year have seen several new football apparel designs due to the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament. Each country will premiere a new design for the tournament, and these designs will become collector’s items relatively quickly once they’re announced. Since the World Cup only happens every four years, the special shirts that the teams wear for the tournament can act as instant souvenirs for specific years. Fans can show their support during the tournament, and then wear the proof that they were there for years to come.
